So I bought a dSLR, a Nikon D50, after sitting on my hands for almost a year.
The sun was setting as the FedEx guy was knocking on my door, and by the time the battery had fully charged it was pitch black outside. I ate some 3 day old spaghetti (another story for another time, mostly having to do with my inability to cook non family-sized meals), put on the ski jacket that still makes me feel a bit ridiculous, and walked to the UIC Pavilion to watch some first-rate Division II exihibition basketball.
The loudest the 2/3-empty auditorium got was when the team mascot walked out at halftime with 3 pizzas in his arms and over the pounding beats of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” proceeded to distribute them to what the announcer described as the rowdiest block of students.
UIC blew a 17 point first half lead to lose by 2.
2 Comments
I love Division II sports. I just like how laid back everything is. Going to watch the Gators play in the O’Connell Center is fun and all, but just kicking back and watching half-decent basketball without feeling like you’re obligated to be a raving lunatic fan is nice.
The diminished prominence and dominance of the athletic teams at UIC has been one of the hardest transitions for me to deal with here. There’s no football game to go to on Saturday. The basketball arena is 1/3 full on a good day. Soccer and baseball are the main draws. It’s so weird sometimes, especially since so much socialization at UF was based around athletic events: going over to a friend’s to watch the game, getting together at the Alehouse, tailgating by the stadium, etc.